BASF launches first product with easyconnect cap on the German market

BASF is the first company to offer a product with the easyconnect screw caps on the German market.

Carax^®, a fungicide and growth regulator in oilseed rape, is now commercially available in the appropriate product container. After around ten years of development, cooperation between 13 companies in the crop protection industry and practical tests on more than 30 farms, the manufacturer-independent Closed Transfer System (CTS) easyconnect is being launched in Germany.

″When we started development at BASF, it was clear to us that the goal must be a manufacturer-independent offer so that it finds acceptance in practice. That is why the easyconnect working group was set up in 2019, which more and more companies have gradually joined.

The easyconnect system consists of two components: a special closure, which is already on the plant protection canister at the factory, and a connecting element, the so-called coupler. Used together, farmers can save time and effort when filling the crop protection sprayer. Since the system is self-contained, the user and the environment are also protected from splashes and drops. ″The new system makes decanting the crop protection agent even safer. In addition, the canister is rinsed out very cleanly. For me, this user protection is the greatest advantage,″ emphasized Christopher Meyer from Lower Saxony, one of the first farmers to use Carax with the new easyconnect cap.

And this is how it works: The easyconnect screw cap on the can contains an integrated inner lid. The user only removes the dust protection cap, but no longer has to open the screw cap. The canister is placed firmly on the coupler and securely fixed using a lever mechanism. This connects to the syringe tank into which the agent is filled. During emptying, the coupler opens the inner lid, the product is dosed, or the entire canister is emptied, depending on requirements. In the case of a partial withdrawal, the part of the cap facing the coupler is then rinsed, and in the case of a total withdrawal the entire canister. Finally, the canister is closed again and can be stored safely if necessary.

Customers who do not yet have an easyconnect-compatible coupler can unscrew the easyconnect screw caps on the product containers as usual and pour out the container via the induction hopper.

The easyconnect system has been tested by farmers in Europe since 2015. Based on their experiences and feedback, it has been continuously improved so that farmers can now fill the crop protection sprayer more safely and faster than before. "I am very pleased that we, as initiators and patent holders, have managed to implement a manufacturer-independent solution and are now launching the first product with Carax," Hartmann emphasized. Other products will follow in 2024.